Just a simple one-shot I wanted to get out of my chest. I actually thought that of all the relationships Suzaku has with the people from the Black Knights, possibly excluding Lelouch depending on what fandom you're into, his one with Kaguya is the most complicated. If you've heard the sound dramas or read the mangas, Nunnally's I mean, you see that these to go way back. Shame the anime didn't really care enough to even mention it. You can take this as sibling bond or lovers, whatever you wish... Also, the first part is from the anime, my contribution comes after...
Before I forget. I did color a pic from the manga that shows, slightly edited by me, these two together as kids. Worth checking out if you like the duo...
Leave comment and jam...
The ceremony itself had gone pretty much how it had been expected to go, excluding the slight tension that filled the air every time someone even mentioned the name "Zero" or anything else that might be associated with the Black Knights, even if they had been originally referring to the number, not the terrorist. Even so, the ceremony to prepare for the marriage between Prince Odysseus of Britannia and Jiang Lihua, Empress Tianzi, of the Chinese Federation; done so in order to strengthen the relationship between the two had ran smoothly. Suzaku, however, had his own hands too full to worry of such matters, since he had made it his personal mission to make sure everything, to the minimal detail, ran smoothly and without any sort of inconvenience.
For once in a long time, he felt a little more at peace, even with everything that was going on around him. Seeing a few familiar faces around made him more comfortable, and seeing each one of them enjoying themselves actually made him smile slightly. Due to his pestering, Lloyd had taken Milly to the ceremony and appeared to be enjoying themselves. Milly in particular had been reacquainted with Nina, despite some slight arguing, the two seemed to be alright. Both of his fellow Knight of the Round where present as well, with Anya keeping her blog up to date with as much photos as she humanly was capable of, and Gino being, well, Gino.
It was not until an announcement was made that made Suzaku come back to reality, which concerned the arrival of the latest guests, three of them to be correct. The name "Kaguya Sumeragi" was spoken aloud upon her arrival, as Suzaku turned upon remembering the name. "Kaguya?"
His eyes widened as he saw that she wasn't alone, and that her company was the last he had hoped to see in this ceremony, yet not the least he expected. Zero stood as casual as ever a few steps behind Kaguya, no doubt using her as a sort of defense, facial expression and all hidden well behind the mask of his. Next to him stood Kallen, whom Suzaku took note of, eyeing the room from corner to corner, no doubt making note of who was in the room and whether or not it had been a good idea for them to be there. Kaguya, however, was smiling from ear to ear as she took a few steps forward, fully intended on going on to say hi to her friend, the soon to be bride. Said steps where stopped when the three were surrounded by guards who held them in place with a few lances, as the man ordering them stood a few steps behind.
"Zero!" Suzaku heard others speak as he made his way through the crowd, which seemed a bit harder than he had originally thought, considering everyone wanted to look at the famous Zero in person, but not too closely.
"And the Gurren pilot is here as well..." Gino spoke up; his eyes more interested in the red head next to Zero rather than Zero himself. Anya just looked on, hoping a few people in front would move out of the way so that she could take a good picture, but not very interested at all.
"Now, now. This is a surprise." Schneizel's voice brought the attention to him, as all eyes where set to the prince as he made his way towards Zero. Zero, despite the mask, seemed to be glaring directly at Schneizel, confirming his suspicions on who it was that had orchestrated this little "event". "Would you please stop this unnecessary violence, today is a day of celebration."
"But sir..." The man in charged protested, but Schneizel paid no mind to him. Instead, he redirected his attention to the young miss in front of him. "Sumeragi-san, would it be possible to abstain yourself from bringing Zero to the wedding tomorrow?"
"Well, I suppose it is out of my hands." Kaguya spoke in a seriousness rarely seen for a girl her age, thought common for those who knew her. Common in the eyes of Suzaku, who had finally reached close to where she, and Zero for that matter, stood.
"If the First Prime Minister of Britannia orders it..." The man in charged spoke up, angered at having to stand down before Zero. "Stand down!"
The crowd looked on as the guards lowered their weaponry, followed by removing themselves from the area. Schneizel then made his way towards Zero, as Zero made no immediate response, thought Suzaku knew better. Positioning himself between Schneizel and Zero, Suzaku locked eyes with Zero, or rather; the latter's mask in hopes of avoiding that anyone else in the room would fall into Zero's control. If this action surprised Zero, he refused to acknowledge it, but Kallen seemed to be a bit surprised.
With a small twirl of elegance he had been somewhat familiarized with, Kaguya positioned herself in-between Zero and Suzaku, mirroring the latter's own movement, though her purpose was a bit different.
"Kururugi-san." She spoke in a form of sure politeness, nothing like who she was when the two were younger. She had never referred to him as Kururugi, much less with the "-san". With a small smile she continued, as both Gino and Anya positioned themselves next to Suzaku. "Remember me? I'm your cousin."
Suzaku just looked on at the young lady that had grown up a bit since he last saw of her. While he would admit that he would have been glad to see her under any other circumstance, the person she was escorting made him consider otherwise. Still, he could not lie. "Of course, how could I forget?"
"Right now." Kaguya spoke up, as Suzaku and everyone else in the room looked on. "We're the only ones left of the six families of Kyoto, am I right?" Suzaku narrowed his eyes a bit, noting the hidden message she had delivered on that comment. Gino seemed to be staring between Kaguya and Kallen, wondering how in the world a terrorist could be with such cute girls. Anya just stared at the young Sumeragi, eyeing Suzaku as well.
"The Kirihara family approved terrorism." Suzaku stated, trying to sound as least defensive as possible. He really couldn't intervene in their execution, it hadn't been his fault. At least, he told himself as much. "I couldn't stop their execution."
Kaguya just smiled, something that made Suzaku questioned what it was she had on her mind. Having spent some time of his childhood with her, he knew that her smile meant she had something up her sleeve. "You haven't forgotten already, have you?" She started, something in her tone as she turned slightly made Suzaku tense up a little. "Zero-sama saved you life once, right? Are you planning on executing your savior as well?"
His eyes widened, as he was genuinely surprised that she would bring up something that happened so long ago. Most notably, that she would say it in such a casual manner. Everyone in the room now turned their attention to the Knight of Seven, who seemed a bit shocked by her words. "This, and that are-"
"What a pity." Kaguya spoke up, interrupting Suzaku. He didn't know if she did it to save himself from having to explain his actions or just to play with his mind. Something told him it was the latter. "If only words were strong enough to kill."
Before he could question her, Zero's voice brought all the attention back to him, who redirected himself to Schneizel. "Your Highness, how do you fancy the idea of a chess match between the two of us?"
While the prince seemed mildly surprise at this concept, he smiled nonetheless. "If I were to be the victor..." Zero continued, while the rest of the guests looked on. "You shall give me Kururugi."
Suzaku's eyes widened. 'Me? He wants me?' While he was surprised by the sudden bet negotiations, he knew that Zero, or rather, Lelouch had been from the very beginning intent on having him join up with the Black Knights. Nevertheless, more surprised than him was Kallen, who quickly looked at Zero's way. Before she could protest, Zero continued. "I shall give him as a present to Kaguya-sama."
"Oh!" Kaguya brightened up, much to Suzaku's surprise. "That would be a wonderful gift."
"Wait for bit and you shall have it." As Zero spoke, Kaguya just smile and turned back to face Suzaku, who seemed a bit too shock to speak. 'Don't I get a say in this?'
"Sounds like fun." Gino's voice interrupted the group, while Anya just frowned. "Why don't you guys bet me as well, and give me to her." With his index finger pointing towards the now disgusted Gurren pilot.
"Gino! This isn't the time for that!" Suzaku shouted at his "friend", who only shook his head while speaking. "Why should you be the only one to have fun tonight, eh Suzaku?"
Turning to Schneizel in hopes that the prince would object, he was met with the same smile he had been accustomed to seeing in Lelouch. "Then, if I were to win, you shall remove your mask. Do we have a bet?"
"Very well." Zero spoke, as everyone in the room seemed to tense slightly, except for the two who were making the bets. Kaguya for one seemed to be smiling a bit too much, as she shifted her gaze from Zero, to Schneizel and lastly meeting eyes with Suzaku. Suzaku just narrowed his eyes. 'Just what is your game here Kaguya. I know why Zero wants me, if he is Lelouch, without me in the way he could use Geass on everyone in this room, including Prince Schneizel. However, you seriously expect me to believe you want to keep me as a gift..."
As if understanding the Knight of Seven's thought, Kaguya cocked her head and winked at the brown haired boy. Before Suzaku could speak, or Kallen for that matter, who seemed to want to impose on the bet, Schneizel spoke up. "Well then, this'll be quite a show, won't it?"
-
The chess match itself went by a bit faster than expected, and a lot less serious than Suzaku had thought. Schneizel had practically played the entire match without being serious at all, and even Zero held back at certain points, most notably the end. Since neither played for real, the bet was called off by both parties, much to the relieve of many of those there. Suzaku himself felt relieved, not only because he was still a free, or so to speak, man, but Zero's identity was still a secret. He didn't feel tonight was the best time for things to come out, regardless of how selfish that may sound.
He found himself outside, looking from the balcony out into the night. He had made sure to be near Prince Schneizel at all times, thought the prince himself had told Suzaku that he didn't have to be on guard all the time. Before Suzaku had time to even respond, Schneizel assured Suzaku that Zero was not going to do anything to him tonight, since if he had intended to, he would have won the match instead of calling it quits. Suzaku decided not to question him, since he felt the prince knew a little more than he lead on. Still, he always kept Zero in the corner of his eye, just in case.
Trying his best to calm himself, especially after the incident with Nina and the fact that his loyalties have been put into question, again, Suzaku was starting to feel the strain. Sometimes he wished he could be as happy as Gino, who seemed intent on flirting with Kallen who had made it clear she didn't want to even speak to him. Suzaku sighed; this was going to be a long night.
"There you are, Suzaku." A familiar voice brought his attention back, as he turned and faced the young head mistress standing a few feet from him, trademark smile and all. "Just because the bet was called off doesn't mean the party was. I haven't seen you in so long and yet you haven't changed. You're still as antisocial as I remember."
"Kaguya..." He spoke up, wondering just how it was that she could mock him without even trying. "Call me what you want, this is still war. How do you expect me to be calm and relaxed and "social" if I have a terrorist and murdered right there in the party?"
"You shouldn't call Zero-sama that way. He did save your life and countless others in the past. He is fighting for the freedom of all, including you." As she spoke she walked a few steps closer to him, reaching the balcony ledge and resting herself to it. Before he could protest, she continued. "Besides... You're not a perfect hero yourself, no one is. Everyone makes mistakes, even Zero-sama."
"Mistakes is one thing, murder is another." His eyes narrowed. She was the last person he wanted to have this conversation with, second if you counted Zero himself. "No matter how noble the goal is, if the means are-"
"Is that your stance on the saying 'the end justifies the means'." She interrupted him, not even looking his way. Instead, she focused her attention at the stars that covered the night. "I suppose we won't know who's right until we reach the end, regardless of the means..."
'Figures...' Suzaku sighed yet again, this time turning his attention to the people inside the party. It was hard to think that the two major figures of the greatest war the world has seen were so close to each other and yet the party went on without any, major, disturbances.
"You know." Kaguya spoke up again, while Suzaku kept looking inside. "I was slightly disappointed when the bet was called off. I was looking forward to having you as a gift."
"What's that supposed to mean. You know I wouldn't-"
"I know." She interrupted, something he was beginning to get accustomed to. "You're stubborn, I'm just saying. It would have been nice. Having you on our side I mean."
"Our? You mean Zero's. He's not the guy you think he is. Why are you with him?" He had intended on questioning her, or anyone else for that matter. Kallen was enough, but still. He knew he wasn't going to change her mind, but he still could try.
"I know more about him than you think. Thought, perhaps not as much as you do..." His eyes widened slightly, thought he regained his compulsion. Kaguya then turned, facing Suzaku. "You probably no more about Zero-sama than anyone else, and yet, you're one of the people furthest away from him."
"That's perhaps the reason. I know who he is, he has you all deceived. Has he shown you his face, does he even trust you?" Suzaku stopped turning to face the younger girl, who only narrowed her eyes as she smiled. "No." She spoke up. "He hasn't... but..."
"What about you?" Kaguya continued, as Suzaku looked on. "You talk about Zero-sama's mask, and yet you wear one too. Yours is just different. He hides his identity, you hide yourself. How many people out there know the real Kururugi Suzaku?"
He stopped as he pondered what she was saying for a moment, trying not to say the first thing that came to mind. Having been at this for over a year, he knew this war would be decided by the mind, not brawn. Still, she did make him ponder. "Someone did. Some time ago."
"Huh?" Kaguya blinked, a bit surprised at the sudden change in tone in his voice. He sounded a bit sadder, and yet, he was smiling. "Who?"
"It was, a girl. Someone that comes just once in a lifetime. Someone I was unable to protect. She knew the real me, but..."
"Sorry." Suzaku just nodded, as Kaguya spoke. "Still, that sounds romantic. It's better to have loved and lost, than-"
"Not that way." His voice startled her slightly, since he had almost shouted. "Losing is one thing. Seeing her get murdered by someone both you and her trusted is different."
Kaguya narrowed her eyes. 'So... this is why you're like this, eh Suzaku. Ever since what happened between you and your father you have always carried every burden yourself. In some sense, you are a lot like Zero-sama. It's no wonder why you're his rival...'
"Why are you with him?" His voice made her turn to him, a bit surprised that he would be asking this again. "Why him? Why Zero? You're far from stupid Kaguya, you know better."
"Maybe it's because, he's my husband. I love him." Suzaku's eyes widened, as he turned a bit faster than Kaguya had expected to face her. "Husband?" Suzaku spoke up. "You haven't even seen his face, how could you love him and call him that?"
"Love is a mysterious thing. You should know, you were my fiancé."
"That... was a long time ago."
Kaguya smiled as Suzaku turned back to face the sky, no doubt the thought of their childhood crossing his mind. Kaguya took a few steps closer to him, and turned to face the sky as well. While Suzaku moved slightly, he didn't move away from her. "You really haven't changed at all Suzaku. I remember when we used to play together, it seems like it was a lifetime ago..."
-
"Suzaku!"
Suzaku sighed as he placed down his Kendo training sword while he eyed the young girl who was seated not to far off from him. The young mistress had her eyes narrowed and was looking slightly annoyed, thought the same could be said for the young swordsman-in-training. The two were currently on the outside of the Kururugi Shrine, nearing the gate. "What now Kaguya? I'm practicing."
"Leave the stick alone and play with me. I'm bored." Kaguya whined as she stood up. Narrowing his eyes, Suzaku hoped that someone would come and take her to her next lessons. It was bad enough that she had to come over every now and then, but why did she have to spend her free time with him so much.
"I'm practicing... and this isn't a stick. Go play with Lelouch or something while I finish up here." While he hoped she would leave him be for a while, all she did was frown. "No!" She shouted, a bit too loud considering how close the two were. "Lelouch can't climb trees or run fast, I'm not even sure he can swim. He's no fun. And there's not much I can do with Nunnally either. You're my fiancé, so you should entertain me."
"That's not how it works..."
"It should. Waving that stick around isn't going to make you stronger, and yet you keep doing it. Leave the stick and play with me." She spoke as she walked towards him, demandingly. It was times like this he questioned why it was that he would be forced to marry this girl someday.
"I told you, later. I need to at least-" He stopped himself, when he looked around and saw that his "stick" was no longer on the place he had put it. Blinking, he looked around for a few moments until finding it on the hands of the younger girl, who was smiling devilishly at him. "Kaguya! Give that back."
"No! You want to train, and I want to play. So we'll do both." Suzaku questioned just what was she planning until he got his answer when she raised the wooden kendo sword and aimed to hit him with it, which he was barely able to avoid. "Are you crazy, that hurts! What kind of training is this?"
"A true swordsman doesn't just swing his sword; he needs to know how to dodge. No future husband of mine will be so pathetic that they can't even dodge a few swings from a girl who doesn't even have the proper "training"." As Kaguya spoke she raised the kendo sword again, this time aiming for the young Kururugi's head, which he was able to avoid by jumping to the side in time. "This way, you train while I play. It's a win-win scenario."
"No, it's not." Suzaku spoke up as he stopped Kaguya mid-swing and caught the wooden sword with his hands, which he had to admit, hurt a bit. For such a young girl, she had a good swing. "Training and playing are two different things. And your ideas of "playing" are not the same as mine."
"Hey!" With those words said, Suzaku effortlessly took the sword away from Kaguya's grasp, despite the latter's efforts. With sword back at hand, Suzaku turned and walked a few steps away from Kaguya. "Now let me be so I can finish. You can do whatever you want, just don't involve me."
Kaguya, however, just looked on as she brushed her face, trying to stop herself from crying. This was done to no avail as the tears came out as she began to cry, much to Suzaku's annoyance. "You're mean Suzaku. I don't want to marry someone you! You don't play with me at all. I hate you!"
With those words said the young head mistress ran away from the area, leaving Suzaku a bit guilt stricken. Still, he sighed. "She'll get over it. She always does. It's her fault anyway..."
-
"Well, it was your fault." Suzaku spoke up, interrupting Kaguya as she was telling their childhood story, much to her dismay.
"You were always putting your so called training before anyone else, even me."
"Mostly you." Suzaku corrected her, while Kaguya frowned. He had to admit he smiled a bit at this, since it brought back so many memories of how the two used to always be bothering and annoying each other.
"As I was saying, it was thanks to your little selfish actions that I did what I did." Kaguya spoke up, raising her index finger to add emphasis. "So technically it was your fault, not mine."
"Say it how you will." Suzaku commented, returning his gaze onto the night. "But the way I remember what happened next was..."
-
His training turned out to take a little longer than he had expected, as by the time he went inside the Kururugi Shrine, it was already night. He had expected Kaguya to return at some point or another, so he had used her arrival as an alarm for him to stop training and maybe play with her a little so she would continue pestering him. But, she never showed. 'She must be a bit madder than I had thought...'
When he entered, he was quickly stopped by two of the members that served the Sumeragi family, the ones who had escorted Kaguya there. Before Suzaku could ask, one of them spoke. "Excuse us, Kururugi-san. Have you seen Kaguya-san anywhere? We haven't been able to locate her and she missed out on her lessons."
"She... missed out?"
"Have you seen her?" The other one spoke up, sounding a bit less patient than the former. "Most of the time that she misses out, she's with you."
"No... I haven't seen her since..." He thought for a moment, then his eyes widened. Before either man could ask, Suzaku ran past them and went outside. The two men considered running after him, but instead preferred to simply carry on their search. Knowing Kaguya, she could might as well be hiding herself as to not take any classes.
Running as fast as he could, Suzaku made his way onto his ex-secret base, where two inhabitants were currently staying at. Knocking on the door a bit too loud, Suzaku waited until the door opened and a black haired boy of similar statue stood in front of him. "Suzaku? What's the idea?" Lelouch spoke up, sounding slightly annoyed. "It late, you could have woken up Nunnally, she's about to go to bed."
"S-Sorry, about that. It's just that I-" Before he could continue he was interrupted by another voice, but not the one he was looking for. "Who's there onii-sama?"
"It's just Suzaku. Go back to sleep Nunnally." As Lelouch spoke to her, he turned to face Suzaku with a frown. Suzaku just signed, why was everyone getting mad at him today. "What was it Suzaku? If you came to say good night hurry up a spit it out or-"
"It's Kaguya." Suzaku spoke up, as Lelouch eyes widened slightly. "She's gone missing. They can't find her anywhere and she missed out on her lessons. I haven't seen her in hours."
"Oh..." Lelouch spoke, as his mind went deep in thought. "While that girl is a bit annoying, I suppose it isn't safe for her to be out during this time. I haven't seen her, but I'll help you search. But I just can't leave Nunnally here alone." Lelouch thought for a moment, the continued. "Let me take her to the shrine, she'll be safe there until we get back. I'll help you search then."
"Thanks, I'll start now, you catch up." With that said Suzaku went running away from there, leaving Lelouch with his eyes a bit narrowed. 'Catch up he says. That exercise freak, by the time I get Nunnally to the shrine he'll have ran all over Japan...'
Suzaku continued his run, searching everywhere he could possibly think Kaguya would be at, to no avail. He was starting to worry, since it wasn't natural for her to disappear like this. 'What if something happened to her? It would be my fault. I wanted her to leave me alone, not leave the shrine.'
Before he could continue his thoughts, he stopped when he heard a sound. Looking around he saw that he had gotten a bit away from the shrine, and the noise he was hearing lead even further away. Nonetheless, he followed. As he ran, the noise got a bit louder, resembling crying. Once he reached the place, he saw Kaguya curled up with her face buried into her knees and tears coming out of her cheeks.
"There you are." He spoke up, startling her. She looked up at him, brushing the tears from her face, as Suzaku walked towards her. 'She's been crying here the whole time...'
"Why are you here? I thought they would send someone else to find me." Kaguya said in-between sobs, trying her best to stop crying, but with little success. "Is that why you're here. You want people to worry and come looking for you?"
"N-No!" She yelled, more tears coming out. "I... I got lost. I was scared, I've been hearing a lot of strange noises and I didn't know how to get back. I thought I was..."
"Calm down, I'm here." Suzaku spoke up as he bent down next to her, extending his arm so that she could stand up. She, however, just pushed it away. "I don't want your help. You didn't care about me when I asked you to play, why care now? You are a self-centered jerk who only thinks about himself. You're the worse fiancé I've ever had."
"You're right... I am." Her eyes widened, as she turned to face him. "I'm selfish, and I'm a jerk. The things I said, they're not true."
"And you admit you're a bad fiancé?"
"The worst."
Kaguya thought for a moment, as Suzaku smiled at her. Before she could speak, he lifted her up, and despite a squeal that came from her, he placed her on his back. "H-Hey!"
"I'll start being nicer now, I learned this from Lelouch." He spoke as he began to walk. "I'll get us home as quick as possible."
"Suzaku..." Kaguya spoke up, as Suzaku continued walking. She wasn't as heavy as he had imagined, more or less the same weight as Nunnally. "You were still mean; I won't forgive you that easily."
"What do I have to do then?"
"Play with me. Whenever I ask." Suzaku smile as she raised her index finger for emphasis, which made her almost topple off of him, but she managed to sustain herself.
"Fine, just no hitting me with the sword. You hit hard." Suzaku spoke up as Kaguya smiled slightly, thought he stopped walking when he heard something move not far from him. Kaguya, who also heard it, clenched her arms around his neck tighter. "S-Suzaku, something's out there."
"I heard it." Suzaku looked around, though the darkness made it hard for him to see much. "Maybe it's just an animal, you know, the kind that just wanders around and doesn't attack people."
"What if it's the kind that does. It can eat us."
"Japan doesn't have that type..." He stopped; since he really didn't know what types of animals could be around, he wasn't that familiar with the area so far from the shrine. Even more so, he didn't one to find out. "We better move, just in case."
Before they could the sound got louder and louder, and in an instant, out of the bushed something jumped out at the two of them, as Kaguya's scream filled the area. She jumped off Suzaku's back and landed on the ground, while Suzaku himself, thanks to her jump, fell as well. The two braced themselves for an attack, but when none came, looked on at their would be "predator".
"Suzaku! It's just a pig!" Kaguya spoke up, pointing to the "pig" which had jumped out the bushes. Said "pig" was a small piglet boar, brown in color who had apparently been just wandering around. "It's a piglet! Hey you, you scared us."
The piglet just looked on, as Kaguya lifted herself up and walked towards it. The piglet walked back a bit, but Kaguya smiled. "Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you. You're a bit ugly for a pig, but you are still cute."
Suzaku, however, just looked on. "Pig? There are no pigs in this area of Japan, especially on the wild. Wait, brown..." His eyes widened as he recognized just what type of animal Kaguya was about to grab. "Kaguya! No, get away! That's a-"
Before he could say it, the mother boar, came out charging at Kaguya, mouth opened and head rose. Kaguya didn't even have time to scream as Suzaku jumped in and grabbed her and pushed both of them out of the way. He did, however, scratch his own leg across the sow's teeth, as a few drops of blood fell from his now injured leg. "What's that? That pig tried to eat me!"
"It's not a pig, it's a boar. And they're very protective of their babies. It must have thought you were going to hurt it." Suzaku spoke as he quickly looked around, hoping to see some way out, unfortunately, the lack of light in the area made it very hard to spot a potential exit. "I-I didn't mean it, I wasn't going to hurt it."
"Tell it to her." As he looked on the boar charged at the two, mouth opened and head raised, fully intent on biting the two. Suzaku, with little time to think, acted on instinct alone. Grabbing hold of Kaguya he ran towards the sow, while Kaguya screamed. "Are you insane? Don't run towards the monster that wants to eat us!"
Despite the extra weight, Suzaku jumped as high as his legs would carry him, jumping over the incoming sow, and landing a few feet from it. As the sow turned and re-charged at them Suzaku continued running as he jumped once again and pushed Kaguya against a tree. "Climb, we'll be safe there."
Doing as she was told Kaguya climbed as fast as she could, while Suzaku followed and pushed her up. Under any other circumstance, Kaguya would have complained about where it was he was pushing her, but she was too scared to even talk. As the two managed to get onto a steady branch, respectively, they both allowed themselves to breathe a breath of relieve. The sow tried to reach the two, but was unable, instead opting to just walk back to where her babies were, which Suzaku noted that a few more had appeared out of nowhere, but he had probably been a bit too busy to notice.
"Suzaku?" Kaguya spoke up, as he turned to face her. She was looking scared, her cheeks damped with tears and her eyes red thanks to all the crying. "Do you think it'll go away?"
"Yeah, it will." He hoped, he didn't fancy the idea of having to remain on the tree for long. He didn't know how much the branches would even hold. "Once it does we'll go down and get back home. Everyone must be worried."
-
"I wasn't that scared!" Kaguya objected, as Suzaku had been busy describing the look on her face after they were safely atop the tree. Suzaku instead opted to just smile, further annoying the young Sumeragi. "Besides, you were scared too."
"Never said I wasn't. But I was the one who got both of us up there." As Kaguya just sighed in defeat, hating to admit the fact that Suzaku had been a lot braver than her on that particular incident, Suzaku actually felt a bit more relaxed. It ad been so long, since the time he had spent with either Lelouch, Nunnally or Euphie a year ago, that he had been able to speak so fondly of his childhood.
Anyway..." Kaguya spoke as she turned around, her back to him. "If I remember correctly, once the sow left, we..."
-
"Is it gone...?" Kaguya's frightfully asked for what seemed to be like the seventh time in the few minutes the two had been up there. While Suzaku wanted to go down as much as her, he would rather be safe than sorry and wait a while just to be sure they wouldn't get a limb torn off.
"Don't know." He spoke in the calmest matter he could. Eyeing the ground below him as best he could Suzaku tried to make out whether or not any animals could be spotted. While it was way dark, his eyes had become accustomed to the light, or lack off. Even so, it was still difficult to see. "I think it is, I better check."
Before Kaguya could speak, Suzaku jumped down from the branch and landed on the ground, stance ready to climb back up if anything attacked him. Fortunately, there was no animal in sight, big or small, which made him feel at ease. Turning back to face his cousin, or what ever relationship the major families of Kyoto had, Suzaku spoke. "I think it's safe. Jump down."
"Jump!" Kaguya shouted, holding onto the branch harder. "I can't jump from here!"
"Don't worry, I'll catch you."
"You'll miss!"
"Will not."
"Will too." Suzaku frowned. To think she would call him stubborn. She wasn't that high up anyway, and she saw that he had jumped down and landed just fine. Sighing, he spoke. "Trust me will you. I'm not going to let you fall." With those words said Kaguya released the grip she had on the tree, focusing her eyes on the boy below her. Trying her best to position herself in a spot that if he couldn't catch her she'd at least fall on top of him, Kaguya yelled. "If you don't catch me, I'll kill you! You hear me!"
"I hear you."
She jumped, or threw herself to be more accurate, falling directly into Suzaku's arms. While the brown haired boy had a little difficulty holding her up, he allowed his own body to hit the ground first as to avoid her getting hurt. Unfortunately, the wound on his leg made the impact a bit harder on him. As Kaguya stood up, brushing herself in the process, still a bit shaken up by the whole thing, she turned to him. "Thanks. At least we... Suzaku? What's wrong?"
Suzaku sat down, since standing up placed to much pressure on his leg, rubbing his leg with his arm. "Nothing. I just cut myself."
"You're bleeding. You call that nothing!" Kaguya basically preached at him as she bent down. Tearing a part of her dress away, she tied said cloth across his wound, holding back the bleeding as best she could. "Thankfully grace and elegance isn't the only thing I've picked up while I've been here. Both you and Lelouch make excellent first aid instructors."
"That's because were always getting into fights." Suzaku said as he narrowed his eyes. "And that dress of yours, isn't it expensive?"
"Who cares? I don't pay for it anyway."
"Oh..." Suzaku looked on as Kaguya stood up, admiring her handwork on Suzaku's now, slightly amateurishly, treated leg. Nodding her head as a sign of approval, Kaguya bent down nearing Suzaku's face, and before he even got a chance to speak, landed a kiss on his cheek. The young boy's face flushed up, as he tried to make out her actions. "K-Kaguya! Why'd you-"
"Hey. You're my fiancé; I can do that if I want to." With a smile Kaguya stood up, then turned away. "Now then, let's go home. You can walk, can't you?"
"Yeah, I can." Standing up, with a bit of an effort, both Suzaku and Kaguya began walking. Before they managed to walk too many steps, Kaguya stopped for a moment, before turning to face the young Kururugi. "Ah... You know where we are... right?"
"I... ah... think so." Looking around as best he could, Suzaku started to feel a bit nervous when no matter what direction he looked at everything seemed the same. He had practically wandered off without any sort of plan as to how get back in search for Kaguya, and had gotten pretty much lost himself. Furthermore, that little "encounter" with the wild boar and her piglets made him lose any sort of idea as to in what direction he had been coming from. "...We're lost..."
Kaguya narrowed her eyes, before walking a few steps back towards a tree and sitting with her back to it. Suzaku just raised a brow at her, turning to face the young head mistress and she raised her view to meet his. "Kagu-"
"We're going to die..." She interrupted, in a matter-of-fact manner, much to his surprise and annoyance.
"We are not going to die." He assured, in the same tone she had spoken. "All we need to do is find our way back. The worst thing that could happen is that we wait out here until morning and find our way back when the sun's up."
"That or more animals come out and make us their breakfast. Face it, how do you expect me to be able to spend hours out here. It's creepy and dark and scary." He sighed, whose fault was it they were there at the moment. It hadn't been his intention to wander off into the night for a stroll. "Kaguya... I told you, we have to-"
He was interrupted when the sound of incoming foot steps filled the area, getting louder and louder as they seemed to be approaching the two. "S-Suzaku! The pig's back!"
"It's not a-Kaguya, get up." Suzaku ran towards her as she got up. As he did, he saw the bushes moving; indicating whatever it was out there was close. Positioning himself in front of Kaguya, he braced himself. "Whatever it is, I'll try to hold it off. You hurry up and climb that tree."
"B-But, your leg. You can't do any of your fancy jumps or such like that."
"I can still try." He reassured her, somewhat. As he turned to face her, he could see tears were beginning to stream out of her eyes. "Don't worry; I won't let it get you."
"What about you, what if it gets you!" His eyes widened, slightly, as he smiled a bit. She was looking directly at him, her eyes wide and her hands clenched into fists. 'Kaguya... are you that worried about me...?'
"There you two are." Spoke a familiar voice that brought the two's attention back to the "animal" on the bushes. Sighing, Lelouch rested his back against a nearby tree, trying to hide that fact that the walk from the shrine to here had exhausted him. "We've been searching everywhere for you two. When I got Nunnally to the shrine I got questioned about the whereabouts of you two, what did they think; just because I'm not Japanese does it mean I'm responsible for anything that happens to you two."
"Lelouch..." Suzaku spoke up, blinking as he realized just what it was that was going on. Before he could speak, Kaguya burst out, walking past Suzaku and towards Lelouch. "What kept you? I was almost eaten by a pig!"
"Pig?" Lelouch blinked as he cocked his head, wondering just how or why a pig would try to eat her. Before he could question her further, Suzaku interrupted. "Boar, to be precise. And anyways, what do you mean by we?"
"We by everyone who takes care of you guys in the shrine." Turning away from the two, Lelouch pointed towards the direction he was coming from. "That ways home by the way. Nunnally must be worried so we better hurry." Walking in the direction he had pointed to Lelouch was followed by both Suzaku and Kaguya, both of which were glad to be finally heading home. "By the way Suzaku." Lelouch spoke up, as said boy looked on. "I expected that at least someone who claims to be so proud of his country to at least know his way around it."
"Shut up you Britannian bastard. It's dark." Suzaku frowned, as Lelouch just smiled as they continued walking. Kaguya just sighed. 'Boys...'
-
"Seems like so long ago..." Suzaku spoke up, as he took a look inside where the ceremony was being held. From the look of tings, Zero had not made any sort of move, and Schneizel was fairly confident as he hadn't called any of the Knights of Rounds to be by his side.
"Suzaku?"
He turned to face her again, her eyes fixed upon the night's sky. "Isn't life ironic?" She spoke up, turning to face the young Knight. "Once upon a time engaged to be married for the good of our families; now pitied against one another in one of the greatest wars the world has ever seen. It's a shame. I really wish you'd reconsider and join up with Zero-sama."
"I'd wish to, that you'd join our side." She smiled, as she took a few steps away from him. Walking towards the door that divided the ceremony and the balcony, Kaguya stopped herself. While Suzaku wanted to speak, to at least say something, he stopped himself.
"Promise me one thing, Suzaku..." She spoke, as he eyed her from behind, eyes narrowed. "Whatever happens, in the end, you'll still be the same Suzaku Kururugi you once were. Believe it or not, you're probably as needed in this war as much as Zero-sama is."
While he would have argued at being compared, in any way, to Zero, he opted to remain quiet. Instead, he chose to walk behind her as both of them entered the ceremony once again. As they did, Suzaku smiled, softly. 'Forgive me Kaguya, but I'm not sure... I can keep a promise like that...'
The two were suddenly blinded by a bright light, as Anya looked on at the two, camera in hand. "Recorded, thank you."
Kaguya blinked a few times before smiling. "Warn me next time, okay." With those words spoke, she made her way away from the two Knights and towards Zero, who just looked her way, before looking eyes briefly with Suzaku. Before Suzaku had anytime to move, a strong arm wrapped itself against his torso, as Gino spoke up. "Well I'll be, Suzaku. You have got to tell me how you do it. I've been trying all night to get the Gurren pilot to at least look my way and all I get is the cold shoulder. You, on the other hand were more than twenty minutes in the balcony doing only you and the girl knows what. You have got to show me your secrets."
"You got the wrong idea Gino. It's... complicated."
"Isn't it always?"
As Suzaku struggled to get out of Gino's hold, with little success, he looked on as Anya took another picture of the two, this time with Gino grinning and Suzaku looking plainly annoyed. "Recorded, thank you."
"You're welcome." Was Gino's response.
"Hey Anya." Suzaku spoke up, finally getting out of Gino's hold. "The picture you took with me and Kaguya. May I see it?"
"Sure." As she spoke she flashed the picture to him, and to Gino who also took a look. It showed the two of the as the entered the room, Kaguya smiling as she usually did, eyes looking around the room. Suzaku, on the other hand, had a thoughtful look. Eyes narrowed slightly and a small smile on his face. Gino just blinked.
"First time I've seen you smiling like that... Heck, first time I've ever seen you smiling." As Gino took the device from Suzaku's hand, and Anya got instinctively closer to him just to be sure he didn't erase anything, Suzaku just looked to the side, where Kaguya was busy speaking with both Zero and Kallen, oblivious to the fact he was looking her way. "I told you, didn't I. It's... complicated..."
I do wonder what would have happened if these two had remained engaged... Also, thanks to Queen Hetalia for telling me I had gotten Schneizel's name wrong. R&R!